Kristaufer landed his mount in a well fortified castle. The horse whinnied loudly.  "Easy, Relantia.... We are safe in here.... The plan is working out just as I had hoped.... Now if I can trust the Plague to pull off it's part..."
A young boy, about sixteen years old, raced through the thick crowd of Illumination soldiers. His dark clothing was matched by his dark brown hair.  The only thing strange about his hair was that the two, front-most locks
were a golden color.  "Father!!"
Kristaufer turned around.  "Jonathon!! How have you been?!"  Kristaufer hoisted his son atop Relantia, who nickered loudly.
"Hello....mother...," Kristaufer said soothingly, stroking Relantia's mane.  Then he looked back up to Kristaufer.
"Did you free it?"
Kristaufer nodded.
"Great! Does that mean your plan will work?!"
Kristaufer smiled and nodded again.  "Almost certainly..."
Jonathon held up his hand.  "I have one request though..."
"What?"
"I want to be the one who chops Kain's and Raziel's head off!!"
Kristaufer kept his smile.  "I've already gotten the Plague to agree.... There should be no problem...."
Jonathon clapped his hands together joyfully.  "I can't wait!'"
*

Once in the safety of the Pillars, Raziel inquired both Kain and Raziana.
"What is the Plague?"
Raziana looked at Kain. Kain took the hint and explained.  "The Plague is a dark cloud of hatred, to put it lightly.. It lives off of bloodshed...."
Raziel seemed confused.  "But then why was it so bloodthirsty whenever Kristaufer freed it? There has been enough bloodshed to sustain it for a long time, hasn't there?"
Kain narrowed his eyes.  "If you do not stop interrupting, we will all be dead by the time I get halfway through... Anyways, while the Plague has been trapped inside that chalice, it was unable to feed.... That is why it was so hungry...."
"Is that all?" asked Raziel. "No.... That's not all.... How do you know about the Plague?"
Kain wiped away the last trace of blood from his lip.  "I protected all of my sons' clans that I knew of... This was after I had you executed..."
Raziel nodded.  "I see...."
"The Plague was released upon Nosgoth... I knew of this because Kristaufer had warned me.... I used a great deal of my magic, if you wish to call it that, and strength to protect my sons' and their clans..... Unfortunately, Kristaufer came to me and nearly killed me... Although I'm guessing that he had more important duties, because he left me, half-dead....."
Raziana glanced up.  "The Plague, now starving for blood, attacked a band of humans and
vampires... Everybody died....except for one...."
Raziel looked at Raziana.
"Who was that?"
"Me......"
There was an uneasy silence. Kain finally broke it.  "How did you survive....?"
Raziana gazed downwards. Her hair hung down on her shoulders.  "I made a suicidal jump into the Lake of the Dead...... History followed....  I became the hostess....."
"I don't understand..," Raziel said. "How did you survive the lake? I would have thought that you would die from burns....."
Raziana shook her head sadly.  "No.... History protected me as I fell... The Elder then rescued me from the lake and deposited me in the Spectral form of the Pillars of Nosgoth....  There, Ariel, Mortanius, Malek, Nupraptor, and Moebius confronted me....  With History already giving me unspeakable powers, the five contributed as much power as they dared to me.... With that, I grew even stronger..."
Kain scooted back slightly in confusion.  "How were those four brought back?!"
Raziana looked up. The visions still flashing wildly in her eyes. Kain flinched as he saw himself being assassinated.
"The Plague has such an extreme power that it's scary.... With just the leftovers of it's powers, Ariel managed to summon back four of the spirits of the sorcerers from the Circle of Nine...... I was then forced to become Kain's assassin..."
Kain narrowed his eyes.  "Then why did you not kill me when you had the chance?"
Before Raziana could answer, there was a horrid screeching noise and something black swooped down and nearly ripped a chunk of Raziana's hair out.
Raziana jumped up. A huge crow with a hooked beak, enormous talons, and two large feathers at the back of it's head, landed atop the Pillar of Conflict.
"Remove your filthy, blood-stained claws from my Pillar!!" boomed a voice.
The crow suddenly hopped around as though it's feet were on fire. It finally flew off, cawing wildly.
"Malek?" asked Kain, almost fearful.
"Yes.... Kain..... I have been resurrected from the deepest bowels of hell..... I am thoroughly disappointed in  Raziana...."
Raziana looked up.  "You have no idea....."
"I'm afraid I do...." Malek's ghost suddenly appeared in front of the Pillar of Conflict. "I saw what Kristaufer did....."
Raziana nodded.  "Now you see what is the matter..... I can't stop the Plague...."
Mortanius's ghost appeared too.  "Neither can we... We are like little children.... Helpless and tiny...."
Raziel waved Soul Reaver.  "So.... There is no hope... The world is doomed?"
Raziana held up a claw.  "Not necessarily... We still have a chance... If we can kill Kristaufer, then trapping the Plague will be a little easier...."
"Why is that?" asked Raziel. His voice sounded almost.....hopeful...
"Whoever releases the Plague automatically becomes a 'host' for the Plague...." Raziana stopped. "But Kristaufer knew that.... Why the heck would he..?" Raziana turned to Ariel, who was floating in front of the Pillar of Balance.
"Do not look at me...," Ariel said, putting up her hands. "I have no idea what Kristaufer is up to... His powers exceed mine by far...."
"Raziana?" Raziel asked quietly.
Raziana turned around.  "Yeah?"
"How powerful is Kristaufer?"
Raziana looked quizzically at Raziel, then Kain.  "You guys don't get it? Do you? Kristaufer is the mister hot-stuff himself! You try taking on that guy, you're going to have more than just a couple of bruises! Not only can that guy use a spear, he can chop peoples' heads off like nobody's business!"
Kain laughed.  "Are you trying to scare us?" he mocked.
Raziana glared hotly at her mocker.  "No.... It's the truth...."
"Still more pathetic attempts to frighten us..."
Raziana glanced around. Malek shrugged.  "I gave up a long time ago.... The vampire scum is much to prideful to
listen to anybody but himself...!" Malek growled.  Kain cast a heated glare at Malek, who returned the glower with one of his own. Nupraptor dusted off his shoulder, even though there was no dust upon his right shoulder.
"I do not see why Kristaufer, as crazy as he may be, would want to release the Plague... He himself has seen what the Plague is capable of...."
Raziana nodded. "Yeah.... Complete destruction..."
Moebius nodded.  "That is no joke..."
Raziel looked at Moebius.  "Is Kristaufer that thirsty for blood?"
Raziana looked at Raziel with a "Get with the program!" look.
"Well... He claims to be 'illuminating' the 'darkness of the vampire scourge'..... There's where they get the name, 'The Illuminations'....."
Kain snarled under his breath. Why hadn't he paid more attention to those scum-bags?!
"Kain?" asked Raziana.
"What?" he snapped.
Raziana frowned at Kain and made a hissing noise.
"Meow, kitty-kitty...! Mad little kitty!" Raziana quickly took note of Kain's threatening glare and continued. "Anyways.... We're going to need help.... We can't take on the Illuminations by ourselves.... Know of anybody
who would help?"
Kain shook his head.  "No...."
Raziana then turned to Raziel.  "How about you?"
Raziel shook his head, too. With a heavy sigh, Raziana turned to Ariel for help.
"I'm afraid that we will not be of much help.... We can fight, but not efficient enough to inflict much damage upon Kristaufer's troops..."
Malek ran his fingers across a sword blade. He chuckled darkly.  "I look forward to spilling blood once more..."
Raziana looked at Malek with a disgusted and frightened look.  "You scare me sometimes, you know that?" she asked.
Malek gave Raziana a mocking sympathetic look.  "Ohh.... Poor baby.... Do you need to be with your father and grandfather for protection..?"
"Huh? Grandfather?!" squeaked Raziana. "I can see father, but what the heck are you talking about my grandfather?!"
Malek looked up.  "Do you not understand? Since Raziel is your father and Kain is his father, that would make Kain your grandfather...!"
Raziana put her hands on her hips and frowned at Malek.  "How dare you insult Kain like that!" she cried, but actually being sarcastic.
"That is no joke..," muttered Kain. Upon hearing Kain's mumblings, Raziel elbowed Kain sharply. Kain retaliated by punching Raziel in the shoulder.  Moebius put a staff in between the two, fighting vampires.  "Save the fighting for later.... We need a plan, first...."
Kain turned his heated glare from Raziel to Malek. Malek shrugged.  "You do know that it is the truth...," Malek said. "As much as you may wish to deny the fact, when you resurrected Raziel, and he resurrected Raziana, you, willingly or unwillingly, became Raziana's grandfather...." Malek's voice dropped so that only Kain could hear him. "And I would advise that you watch over her too...."
Kain gave Malek a disgusted frown.  "Why should I do that?" he hissed.
Raziana came behind Kain. She leaned against him with a confident grin.  "Yeah... Why should he do that?"
Malek snarled a few curses under his breath and went back to polishing his sword blade. Kain shoved Raziana away. Raziana staggered around, but she had been expecting Kain's revulsion about her anyways, so she didn't fall.
Mortanius sat down in front of the Pillar of Death.  "Either way... We cannot stand around here, waiting for Kristaufer to go off on a rampage and then try to do something about it... We must act quickly..."
Raziana chewed on her bottom lip thoughtfully.  "Kristaufer's up to something... I just know it.. He wouldn't release the Plague if he didn't have something in mind....."
Raziel toyed with a small shred of his left wing.  "We do not know how much time we have left before Kristaufer attacks... Like Mortanius said, we must act promptly.."
Raziana looked at Kain.  "Are you willing to help us? Because if you just want to fight Raziel, then go ahead... I'll try and find somebody else..."
"I am willing to help....," stated Raziel confidently.
Everybody stared at Kain. Kain slowly thought over the consequences in his mind. If this Kristaufer had became as powerful as Raziana claimed he was, Kristaufer may be a very lethal threat. And Kain knew that the Illuminations
were a force to be reckoned with. On the other hand, this was all Kain's plan. Why should he allow some tiny, insignificant female vampire mess destiny itself up? Raziana had no part in this, in fact, in Kain's mind, she
shouldn't even be alive now..! Besides, Raziel was the only one important in this, Raziana was irrelevant.
"All right... I will assist you two..."
"AHEM!!!!"
Kain looked over at Moebius, who had been "clearing" his throat.  "I will assist these two vampires, and five ghosts....," growled Kain.
*

As the trio of vampires entered a desolate human city, Kain chuckled shortly to himself.
"I see that vampires have already beaten us to this certain city..."  Raziana shook her head.
"Wrong on that one...."  Raziel and Kain looked at Raziana quizzically.
"What?" asked Raziel.
Raziana pointed to a wall. Blood soaked the wall in a bright red stain. "What kind of vampire leaves so much blood....?" Raziana asked, still pointing to the wall.
Raziel and Kain stared in confusion and shock.
"Then what did this?" asked Kain.
Raziana looked at Kain with a "duh!" look.  "The Illuminations.... But I'm guessing that only the animals did this....
Only they spill this much blood..."
Kain looked around again and suddenly noticed all of the viciously mutilated bodies of the townspeople. Limbs were severed off with grotesque ferociousness and many people were disemboweled.
"What type of animal did this?" asked Raziel in shock.
Kain studied one of the viciously disfigured bodies.  "Do you believe that it could have been those horses?" he asked Raziana.
Raziana frowned and shook her head.  "Nah.... Probably those wolves or Melchiah-like creatures... But then if it
had been them, there would be a lot of crushed walls and everything like that... So it was probably those wolves and crows, maybe the horses, but that's doubtful..."
Raziel looked at Kain.  "How do you know of these creatures?"
Kain glared at the memory that Raziel was asking him to remember.  "Kristaufer has confronted me once...."
Raziana's eyes widened.  "Huh? When?"
Kain leaned back against the one that wasn't blood-stained.  "Before he and the Plague went on a rampage... At first, I didn't think that they deserved any of my attention... I later found out that I was very wrong..."
Raziana smirked.  "Was this after the Plague's rampage?"
Kain glared at Raziana, but he nodded.  "Yes... I was horrified at the destruction that the Plague caused...."
Raziana combed back her hair and sat down on a crate.  "No joke..," she muttered.
Kain turned around.  "You've seen the Plague?" he asked almost doubtfully. "Aside from today's little adventure?"
Raziana nodded.  "Yeah.... Did you know that it can knock down trees like toothpicks?"
Kain nodded, not even glancing at Raziana.  "Yes..."
"Somebody's coming!" hissed Raziel, motioning for them to hide. Kain hid behind an overturned cart, Raziel hid himself from view by going behind a door. Raziana jumped into a haystack, covering herself with hay.  Two men, both riding those black horses with wings and horns, rode into the destroyed village. They were talking and laughing between themselves loud enough for the three vampires to hear.
"Did you see how they ran!? I didn't know that people could run that fast! I thought that only our horses could run that fast!"
The trio of vampires recognized the other man as Keevian. His dark eyes scanned the area. He then turned to the younger, apparently louder, man. 
"I'd keep it down if I were you... There may be vampires nearby..."
The naive man continued to talk as though he were in front of an audience.
"Oh, come on, Keevian! I, Michael, have no fear of some pathetic vampire..."  Michael drew his sword and swung it around wildly. Keevian watched Michael dance around, hacking down invisible foes. His expression was that of
disgust and admiration. Disgust that Michael couldn't follow orders, but
admiration that the man had enough courage to get off the horse.  Michael wheeled around and impaled the haystack that Raziana was hiding in.
Raziel and Kain froze. Their fears were confirmed when Michael's sword blade was bloodstained. Michael and Keevian apparently didn't notice the blood, because they both rode off, never taking heed of the two vampires jumping out from hiding and digging through a haystack.
"Raziana!" hissed Raziel.
"Oog...," moaned Raziana, holding her stomach. "I feel awful....."
"Where did he stab you?" asked Raziel, relieved that Raziana was walking.
"In the stomach... Gack.... I think I lost half my lunch when I became a shish-ka-bob...."
Kain dusted some hay off him.
"Are you all right now?"
Raziana glared up at Kain.  "Lemme' take a sword and drive it through you and see how peachy you feel!"
Kain started to say something, but Raziel cut him off.  "What were those two doing?" he asked nobody in particular.
"Probably to see if the creatures had done their job....," answered Raziana.  Suddenly, a loud shriek quickly got the trio's attention. A girl, her brown hair in a ponytail, screamed again and dropped a basket full of food and flowers and dashed for the gate. Raziana promptly teleported herself in the gate opening and stopped the girl, who quickly fell on her knees.
"Please don't kill me!" she cried, covering her head with her hands.  The girl looked to be about the same height as Raziana, and, if Raziana had been mortal, the two might have been the same age.
"Look.... I'm not hungry and I'll make sure that these two clowns to kill you, 'kay? What's your name?"
The girl looked up, her blue eyes studying Raziana.  "Um.. S-Samantha, my goddess..."
Raziana raised an eyebrow.  "Huh? Nobody's ever called me that.... Stick with Raziana, okay?"
Samantha nodded.  "Ummm.... Yes... Of course, my-I mean, Raziana..."
Raziana smoothed back her hair.  "Good.... Glad we got that settled..." Raziana looked around. Raziel and Kain were nowhere to be seen. "Hey! Where'd those two idiots go?"
Samantha cautiously stood up. She dusted herself off.  "I will help you look for them if you'd like...."
Raziana stared at Samantha.  "You don't mind?"
Samantha shook her head.  "Oh no.... You spared me... I can at least try to return the favor...."
Raziana shrugged.  "Okay... Sure....."
Out of nowhere, three vampire hunters, clad in armor and wielding vicious crossbows, trained their weapons on Raziana.
"Don't worry, sis! We got this one!" yelled one.
Samantha wheeled around and leaped in front of Raziana.  "No! Don't shoot! This one's a kid! She spared me!!"
The middle man lowered his weapon.  "Alex, Jeffrey....put down your weapons.... Samantha? Let me see this
vampire...scum....."
Samantha cautiously stepped aside, revealing Raziana. Raziana stood stone-still, staring the man straight in the eyes. Her eerie, yellow-green eyes made the man inwardly shudder, but he kept a straight face on the outside.
"What's your name?" he snapped.
Raziana glanced at Samantha, who faintly nodded her head. "Raziana, sir..."
"And did you spare my daughter?"
"Uh.... I didn't kill her or bite her or harm her in any way, if that's what you're asking...."
Samantha's father nodded.
"Hmm.... Strange.... You're both a female and I child vampire.... I have never encountered one like you.... My name's Robert.... I thank you for sparing my only daughter.... I may not immediately kill you...."
Raziana sarcastically clapped her hands. "Ooh.... Yippee.... I'm not going to die instantly! No! I'm gonna' die
later, expecting it! Whee...." Raziana's tone was as sarcastic as her clapping. Jeffrey, the younger of Samantha's brothers, lifted back up his weapon.
"I say we kill her now..."
Alex held up his hand. "Wait.... I wanna' know what clan she's from..."
Raziana looked at Alex.
"I'm from Raziel's clan..."
Robert seemed surprised as well as Samantha, Alex, and Jeffrey.  "You survived Kain's bloody wrath?" Samantha asked.  Raziana nodded.  "Uh-huh.... But I'm the only one who survived...... Nobody else did..."
Robert nodded his head.  "I see...."
Kain suddenly appeared on Raziana's left side and Raziel jumped down and  landed at Raziana's right side.
"Are you through interrogating this vampire?" hissed Kain.
The four humans gasped and staggered back. Alex and Jeffrey were so frightened that they didn't even think to draw their weapons. Robert slowly and cautiously drew his sword. Kain smirked and put a pitchfork at Robert's throat.
"That would be an awful decision on your part....," Kain said smoothly and darkly.
Samantha raced forward and placed herself in front of Robert.  "Please spare dad! He only attacks because he's been attacked by a vampire before!"
Raziana elbowed Kain.  "Put the darned pitchfork down, man... You're scaring the heck outta' these humans...."
Kain glared at Raziana threateningly, but he lowered the pitchfork.  "But I am supposed to frighten mere mortals...," he mused to himself.
Raziana glanced up and smoothed back a lock of hair.  "Yeah... I know that... But can you slightly refrain from that around these people?"
Samantha stared at Raziana. She was stunned to see a vampire boldly order the ruler of all vampires. Raziana noticed Samantha's shocked stare and grinned.
"Kain wouldn't hurt me on purpose, would you Kain?" she purred sweetly. Kain snarled in disgust and shoved Raziana away, but Raziel caught her. Raziel flashed a lethal glare at Kain, but said nothing. Alex, finally snapping out of his scare, lifted his crossbow, but Robert again intervened.
"Keep your weapons ready, but don't fire unless they attack...."  Alex and Jeffrey nodded.
Robert removed his helmet. Raziana stared at a middle-aged man with brown-black hair and those same, stunning, icy-blue eyes. His pale skin was a testament to the lack of sunlight. He gently hugged Samantha close.
"You have arrived at a bad time, vampires.... There is nothing here....except blood, if that's what you came for..."
Raziel shook his head. He noticed that the humans were sickened at the sight of him, but decided to just ignore it and continue talking.  "No... We did not come here for blood-"
"Says you...," muttered Kain.
Raziana grinned widely, careful to conceal her fangs with her lips, and elbowed Kain in the stomach. Raziel kept on talking, dismissing Kain's interruption.  "We are after the Illuminations...."
Robert seemed surprised.  "The Illuminations? They've been dead for years!"
Kain laughed at the statement. Raziana shuddered at the sound of Kain's trademark laugh.  "Fools...," snapped Kain. "The Illuminations were the ones who did this....  Did you actually think that three vampires could do this much damage in such a short time?"
Jeffrey shrugged.  "Well..," he said, his voice timid. "When the lord of all vampires is one of those vampires, we have good reason to believe something like that..."
Kain cast a threatening glare at Jeffrey, who shrank back.
"Are the Illuminations really back, dad?" asked Samantha.
Raziana felt her stomach lurch. Would she ever call Raziel that? Dad?
Robert smoothed back Samantha's hair.  "I don't know.... I truly don't... Although, there is a man I know who may
be able to help us..."
"Who?" asked Raziel.
"His name is Loid..... He has seen the Illuminations before.... Perhaps, if you are willing to refrain from killing anybody, I can maybe allow you into the city...."
Kain snorted disdainfully.  "A human city?" he growled.
Raziana stomped on Kain's toes. Kain retaliated by smacking Raziana on the head as hard as he could. Raziana was sent reeling back, but she managed to keep her balance.
Raziel nodded, casting a heated glare at Kain and Raziana.  "Yes.... We will not kill anybody..."
Samantha tugged her father's arm.  "Can I take Raziana to my room?!" she asked hopefully.
"What!?" cried Alex. "You, Samantha, want to take a VAMPIRE into your room!?!? ALONE!?!?!?"
Samantha glared at her oldest brother.  "Yeah... I can fight back, you know...."
"But if that-that-that thing pins you down, you won't be able to fight back then...!"
Raziana sighed.  "Forget it... Humans don't trust vampires, simple as that, okay?"
Samantha put her hands on her hips.  "You can come to my room if you want... Ignore what those two jerks happen
to babble out....okay?"
Raziana seemed puzzled, but nodded.  "Uh... Sure.... Okay......."
*

Once the vampires and humans reached the well fortified human city, Robert turned around.
"We're going to have to disguise you three.... We can't have three vampires waltzing into a city of humans.... The chaos that would ensue would be extremely devastating...."
Robert pulled off the cloaks that were covering him and his sons. He then tossed them to Raziel, Kain, and Raziana. Raziel and Kain caught the cloaks easily and, with a few disgruntled remarks from Kain, donned the dark brown
capes. Raziana, on the other hand, was hit in the face with the cloak and staggered back, yanking off the cloth.
"Aaaargh!!! This thing smells hideous!!"
Samantha shrugged.  "Well...... You can wear the cape or stay out here... Your choice.."
Raziana frowned, but said nothing and put on the cloak. The group walked in......and were immediately greeted by a crowd of people.
"Robert! Hello! I'm surprised that you and your family are alive.... Who's that you have with you?" asked a passing by woman.
"Just a few humans that happened to survive a vampiric attack...."
The woman, her purple dress stained with ink and her light brown hair shimmering in the dim sunlight, shuddered.
"I can't stand those-those creatures! I'm so glad that you, your sons, and your daughter survived!"
Kain growled something under his breath, but it was softly enough that nobody heard him. The lady started talking to Robert, but Samantha tugged on Raziel's arm.
"Psst!" she whispered. "Follow me!"
Raziel nodded and got Kain and Raziana's attention. The trio followed Samantha down an alley and to a large house, two of it's small windows illuminated by candles.
"This is Kauvin Trin's house.... He's one of the only two people in this entire city that has seen the Illuminations and lived to tell about it..."